Adventure

Visa run Thailand to Malaysia

When I did some research on traveling, I had one question that I needed to address – “how can foreigners stay in another country?” Let’s consider Thailand (where I am currently living at the moment )and its large immigrant population. I knew there had to be some way in which people could live there a year, and as expected, there was. What I learned each time I conducted a search was the term ‘visa run’

What’s A Visa Run?

It doesn’t matter what country you visit; you have a time limit of how long you could reside in the country before you have to leave it. This is how the term “visa run” came about. You stay in the country until your visa expires, then, you cross into a neighboring country, sleep for the night (this can vary depending on the embassy you visit) and return the next day where you have the visa at.

While this sounds fairly easy, you have to imagine doing this every three to six months. It can become a royal pain, but again, it’s how you perceive things. I look at it as a mini-vacation. Thailand is a bit different, as there have been cases where the immigration office will bar you from reentering the country.

How I Was Able To Quit The Visa Run

Since I was new to traveling, I didn’t want to take a risk that would lead to visa denial. As a result, I signed up for the country’s education visa that allowed me to go to school and study the Thai language. The government granted me a one-year visa, which meant I didn’t have to leave the country. Although it did cost me $1,000 to participate in the program, it was worth it. I only had to do the initial visa run before I applied for the education visa (I got a cheap flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).

Many people are under the impression that it’s expensive to travel the world. In some ways, it can be. However, if you do your research, you can find some good deals. I was able to spend $250 for my flight and a week’s stay for thai visa run. (In the video, you’ll see what $16 a day cane get you with Air B&B.

Travel Tip: When traveling in Asia , there’s literally a holiday each month (some can last as long as week). Ranging from government holidays to the religious one, Asians love to celebrate, no matter what the reason. If you decide to or unknowingly book on a day when a holiday is take place, be prepared that some of the attractions/sights you wanted to visit may be closed . I did this when I booked my visa run to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and ended up booking my trip during Chinese New Year – lesson learned the hard way, from now on, I always check the calendar.

During my trip , I wanted to check out Chinatown’s the famous night market. and, volunteer organization that I had been in contact before embarking on my trip (If you have been following my blog, you know I make the most of all my trips, by helping those in need ). Thankfully I did find an NGO that was still operating during the holiday – Patwari Soup Kitchen,

It allowed me the opportunity to volunteer Friday and Monday, meeting people who do this on an everyday basis. I was even introduced to the soup kitchen’s current owner/operator – Munirah Hamid – who is also the CEO of her own company . However she still finds time to run this NGO on top of her day job , making sure everything is as it should be. It was nice to meet a person who ran a company and still found time to give something to the community. When I meet folks like this, it puts things in perspective for me. Why can’t I do the same thing while I travel and operate a business?

When I wasn’t helping out at the kitchen, I did some sightseeing, visiting the Batu Caves, which are the most impressive temples I’ve ever seen. The temple was built into the caves. Of course, this is not for the faint-hearted – there are 272 steps to reach the top. And, no Hindu temple is complete without some monkeys around.

Travel Tip : How to get to Batu Caves? There is no need to get a taxi (Grab Car or Uber), Simply go to KL Sentral ( Kuala Lumpur Central station). The train station has an exit point right next to Batu Caves. It will only cost you a few dollars each way. Earlier the better: less people & less heat. There is no entrance fee to enter the temple however there are a couple side attractions if you will , e.g. zoo and smaller temple in which they do charge an actual fee. I say its worth it , if you made the trip might as go all the way .

Besides that, I was able to check out the world’s largest twin towers – the Petronas Towers – along with getting a peek at Malaysia.

Here’s a tip to remember: if you want to know what a country is really like, steer clear of the bigger cities. They’re not that much different from the West. While Kuala Lumpur was a nice city to visit, I was not not to experience the rural side of Malaysia.

In conclusion, my trip to Malaysia was a successful and enlightening one, with an opportunity to help others. However, right now, my question is where do I go next? I really don’t have a clue yet, but I just know I want to make my mark on the next place and help people who need assistance. As I continue my travels, I am optimistic the bigger picture will eventually reveal itself to me .

POST COMMENTS

What a strange term “visa run” is!! Me and my girlfriend planned a visit to Malaysia last year but at the eleventh hour we cancelled it because we were offered a better package by the travel agent. Anyhow, I will definitely take care of this “visa run” thing whenever I visit Malaysia. I am happy that your enjoyed your trip!!

I am all too familiar with the “visa run.” Many of my friends decided to do that instead of getting a more perm visa here. The unfortunate part is it’s SO much easier than trying to do it the “right way.” I’m trying the “correct way” and have had way too much trouble.